The Myth of Sisyphus: Will AR/VR technology today make you happy?
What happens when you challenge authority? You might be lucky and get yourself in a better place, but in most cases it’s not. In a classic Greek myth, Sisyphus challenged the all-powerful God, Zeus, and received eternal punishment. Sisyphus was punished for pushing a heavy stone up a mountain in his eternal life, and was saved by no-one.
In 1942, French philosopher Camus used the Myth of Sisyphus to propose the absurdity and purposelessness of life. He was suppressed by the authorities during his time. When he was a child, he had a difficult relationship with his father and was once punished for standing outside on the balcony in winter. And when he grew up, Camus was forced to work in a law firm.
During his time, his passion certainly wasn’t encouraged. However, in today’s world, how many Sisyphus still exist? My high school life in China was quite like Sisyphus. I had to push myself to get the best score for my exam, only knowing that I will have another exam coming up next week that was equally important. I didn’t have time to think about a larger goal planned for my future. And I wasn’t perfectly happy.
For me, Sisyphus represents people who have little power to fight with authority, who have forgotten about using their imagination to create their future. And it wasn’t their fault. They had little power internally and externally, and didn’t have the time or the opportunities to realise their potentials. They ended up tying themselves to work and they had never faced themselves as who they truly were, and they may have to pretend to be happy about their inauthentic life.
I believe that technology today can make Sisyphus be truly happy and fulfilled. The raise of VR/AR, and Metaverse is the solution. A virtual world provides a whole new space for people to face themselves. You can choose your avatars and cultivate new habits and hobbies. And only in five years, Sisyphus will not be suffering. He can enter into the Metaverse world where he can express himself freely, regardless of his social status, gender, race, or his physical appearance. He can choose a house in Metaverse with pink wall and yellow window. Authorities such as Zeus would lose track of him in the Metaverse. He could have free space to explore his own mind and his imagination. He could choose to be a creator rather than a consumer. He can become a painter and draw a field filled with lotus instead of pushing a stone up a mountain. He could be who he really wants to be.
Thanks for reading. You can connect with me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chickenball33
